Zika virus spread

The Health Ministry had a working session with the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City on addressing the spread of Zika virus on April 5 in the city.
Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien called on local residents to stay calm and join their hands with the Ministry to kill mosquitoes in their neighbourhood.
Director of the municipal Health Department Nguyen Tan Binh said the locality had plans in place to tackle the spread of the virus in terms of human resources, medicines and facilities.
Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Le Thanh Liem instructed the Department of Information and Communication to work with the press on related publicity to avoid making local residents panic, while the Health Department and localities are urged to take measures to prevent and fight the disease.
The same day, a delegation from the Ministry, led by Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long also worked with the south central coastal province of Khanh Hoa on preventing … [Read more...] about Vietnam ready to deal with Zika virus, says Health Minister

Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are seen at the Laboratory of Entomology and Ecology of the Dengue Branch of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in San Juan, March 6, 2016. Photo: Reuters/Alvin Baez
Vietnam’s health ministry on Tuesday confirmed the country’s first two infections of the Zika virus in Ho Chi Minh City and the central resort town Nha Trang.
The Nha Trang patient is a 64-year-old woman who started having a fever on March 26. She also suffered from headache and conjunctivitis and developed rashes.
She went to hospital after taking medicine at home for two days and did not get better.
Test results from the Pasteur Institute in Nha Trang on March 31 and April 1 both confirmed that she was infected with the Zika virus.
The National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemology in Hanoi took another test and confirmed the result Monday.
The institute on the same day said another patient from Ho Chi Minh City was tested positive.
The 33-year-old woman living … [Read more...] about Zika virus spreads to Vietnam with first 2 confirmed cases

Health officials are monitoring the spread of Zika virus in other countries, saying Vietnam is also at risk.
The Preventive Health Department said the virus, which has been linked to brain damage in thousands of infants in Brazil, has not been detected in Vietnam.
But it said the spread is possible as the virus’ main vector, Aedes aegypti mosquito, can be found in Vietnam. It is also known for carrying carry the dengue, yellow fever and Chikungunya viruses.
Travelers can also bring the virus to the country, it said.
It has ordered epidemiology institutes to conduct regular studies in Vietnam.
The Zika virus is now being transmitted in 25 countries and territories in America since the first infection in Brazil was confirmed in May 2015.
Geovane Silva holds his son Gustavo Henrique, who has microcephaly, at the Oswaldo Cruz Hospital in Recife, Brazil, January 26, 2016. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino
CNN reported that the number of suspected cases of microcephaly, a neurological … [Read more...] about Vietnam watches out for alarming Zika virus spread

No cases of the Zika virus have been discovered in Viet Nam, but people travelling from Zika virus-affected countries should keep an eye on their health condition for a fortnight.
The Health Ministry's Department of Preventive Medicine has said that those who experience fever need to visit hospitals or health clinics near them for further check-ups.
Tran Dac Phu, head of the department said that the ministry was working with the World Health Organisation to supervise the study the disease. Viet Nam is currently fighting with dengue fever, which was transmitted by mosquitoes, also responsible for the Zika virus.
Thus, it is possible that the virus could enter the country.
The ministry has recommended that people should take measures to reduce the breeding of mosquitoes, such as covering all containers of water to prevent mosquitoes from breeding, disposing waste such as bottles, vases, coconut shells, and used tires and tubes.
The Zika virus spreads through mosquito bites. The … [Read more...] about Vietnam takes measures to prevent Zika virus

HA NOI (VNS) — No cases of Zika fever have been reported in Viet Nam so far, but the Ministry of Health has said Zika might hit the country as it is spreading rapidly in Latin America.
The World Health Organisation on Monday declared the mosquito-borne Zika virus an international public health emergency due to its link to thousands of birth defects in Brazil, and the UN agency sought to build a global response to the threat.
The WHO said last week the virus was spreading explosively and could infect as many as four million people in the Americas.
At an urgent meeting of the Health Ministry, deputy minister Nguyen Thanh Long requested relevant agencies to strengthen precautionary measures against the spread of the virus.
The process of monitoring, detection, test, diagnosis, and treatment should be conducted carefully, he said.
He said that Aedes mosquitoes abound in Viet Nam and are the main carriers of dengue fever so there is high risk the virus may enter the country.
The … [Read more...] about VN takes measures to contain Zika virus